Cooling system for packing-houses.



T. PELLOWS.

GOGLING SYSTEM Pon PAOKING HOUSES.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1909.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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77.1 ma 21307@ Z'IQJ Zb/z T. FBLLOWS. COOLING SYSTEM POB. PACKINGHOUSES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7,1909.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

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T. PELLOWS. COOLING SYSTEM FUR PACKING HOUSES.

APFLUATION FILED SEPT. 19091 Patented A pr. 12, 1910.

4 SHELTS-SHBET 3.

T. FELLOWS.

COULINQ SYSTEM PDR PACKING HOUSES.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. '1, 190s.

954,674. Patented Apr. 12, 1910,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

L ("1. I @w66 I n 22 fsb UNITED STATENSAPVA'IENT OFFICE.

THOMASFELLOWS, OF LOS ANGELS, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MII.-

WAUKEE BUILDING COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OFCALIFORNIA.

COOLING SYSTEM FOR PACKING-HOUSES.

Application led September 7, 1909.

Specification of Letters Patent.

T o all whom it may concern:

citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the countj)vof Los Angeles' and State of California, have invented a certain new anduseful Cooling System for Packing-Houses, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to building constructions and has particularreference to a coolino' system for packing houses for citrus and otherfruits, and especialh7 lemons.

In the arid regionsA and valleys of the in'- terior, the lach ofmoisture in the air wills the lemons in storage by the liberation of thecitric acid contained therein, and in humid territories, the h't'groscopic nature of the'lemons, absorbs the moisture, causing adisruptionor dissolution of the vascular cells which results in rot. Inorder therefore, to preserve lemons in storage, which is neces sary onaccount of the variahilit)v of the market conditions, a mean between thehuinid and the dry atmosphere is required. and to this end I havedevised the present structure for the storingI of fruits, one of theobjects being to preserve at all times an equable .temperature with theproper `quantity of moisture requisite to protect the lemons againstdesiccation and decay. V

Another object oliithis invention. is to provide a system for coolingland maintaining in a cool condition the atmospheric air in a packinghouse without resorting to artificial refrigeration and to regulate suchcoolingias conditions lnavrequire.

A further objectcfthis invention is to provide v a` aching Y house.construction in whichhuniiity may be supplied to the dry air in exactlythe proportions needed by the lemons, andin which-sati1ratcd=air may bedried incaseV an excess of'lnnnidity exists.

`Vlfith these and other objects in View, this invention consists ofthelfeatnres, details of construction and combination lof parts aswillhe described in connection withthe accompanying drawings and then bemore particularly pointed out. in the claims.

, l In the drawings, Figure 1, is a perspective viewshowing one. of thegable ends ofthe construction` removed to disclose interiorlarrangement.V Fig. 2,-,isa .fra mentary side elevationf Fig,\=3, is aSection5 fragmentary plan View, onflifnes: Fig. 2,*showmg thetrapdoorsln thetigihtoor Fig. 4,'is a `.of the building` strips of textile'fabric, such fravmentary perspective view Showing the wal constructionand the invention as applied thereto. Fig. 5, is a cross section of thewall and roof construction. Fig. 6, is a plan detail of the vent, andFig. 7, is a detail of one of the louvers showing the strip of textilefabric thereon, the water supply trough and the water drain trough.

The buildingl consists of the side Walls l and Q, and the end walls forthe saine constructed of hollow terra-cotta bricks 3, more clearlyvshown in Fig. 4, and laid to forni in sulated compartments 4, formingdead air chambers which insulate the exterior air from the interior airand prevents-the in gross of the warm outside air to the interior.

At determined intervals in the upper parts of the walls l and 2 are aJlurality of openings 5, provided with air @fleeting Yanes 6, throughwhich the air courses to the interior These openings as described aresubstantially louver Windows, and fastened to the upper sills thereofare as burlap, canvas and the like, as shown at 7, while`the lower endsthereof are riveted or tacked to a plate 8 scoured to the sills 9, whichrest on and at an angle to the transverse layer of brick l0, formingrthe closure for the dead air wall spaces a. By means of a trough ll,which extends' loug'itudinnltr of the length ot' the building walls land i., and to which water is supplied by a supply pipe 1:2, thesefabric stri is are saturated or provided with a required amount ofmoisture, escaping through the perforations 13, provided in the part ofthelrough l1 adjacent the burlap. l`he excess of water which is notabsorbed by thepfa'oric, or which is not vaporized by the inowingcurrents of air. drips into the dripltrough l-l. and the balance ofexcess water,following the eurvatin'e 'of the lun'- 'lnpatthe bottoniescapes over the plate S,

into thcidrain trough l provided on the outside of the walls l and 2.

lVhen the tenilwrature of the eoiupartment ,A has been Vreduced totlu`degree which the` citrus fruit requires for its pres ervntion thefurther lowering; of the temperature is roventcd by the shutters 1Ghingedly Secure to thetops 17 of the-window casinga, which shutters whenclosed exclude the ,ain

In order to remove from the compartment A `vspid,A or stagnantair, whichhas a dc-k teriorating-.eiect upon the fruit, I flnovide vent pipes 18in the hollow Walls 1 and 2, which vents are provided with openings 19affording communication between the outside atmos here and the interiorof the building. hese openings are controlled by slides or doors 2O fromthe inside of the compartrnent A, and by this means the vitiated orcontaminated air Within may be drawn out without affecting the coolingprocess.

lVhere in regions remote from large bodies of Water, the air is devoidof or possesses an extremely low percentage of moisture, the arrangement.thus far described will tend only to extract by evaporation, thethermal units from the incoming air, and in this manner modify theatmosphereic condition in the compartment. Since, however, lemons andother citrus fruits, to be properly preserved in storage, require, as isWell known, cold and moisture in proportion, this arrangement alonewould not conduce to' improvin the resent primitive conditions or metods o coolin and caring for the fruit. For this reasongI have made theprovision for supplying humidity to the compartment A, shown 1n Fig. 1,and moue particularly in Fig. 5.

The roof 21 is capped'by a dormer louver 22 resting on the main rafters23 of the building. Within said dormer louver 22 and extending slightlybelow the plane of the roof 21, is a frame 24, having the shape 4of aninverted V, and supported by crossties such as shown at 25. On the apexof said inverted V-shaped frame is mounted a trough 26, provided Withperforations 27 in the sides thereof, and through which perforationsWater, supplied to the trough from a suitable supply seen at 27', flowsonto and dampens or saturates strips of -burlap or other textile fabric28 covering the inclined sides of the inverted V-shaped frame 24.'lSuspended from said frame 24 by hangers 29, is a pan 30 arranged toreceive the surplus water from the burlap, and a pipe 31 serves to drainthe Water which has collected in said pan.

As seen in Fig. 5, suitable shutters 32, are hinged to the frame work ofthe dormer louver, whereby the production of humidity may be regulatedby opening or closing the saule, thereby cutting ott or admitting theair to the interior. lVhen lack of humidity is experienced in thecompartment A the shutters 32 of the dormer louver are opened, and theshutters 16 of the Wall louvers are closed. The air induced through thesaturated burlap carries With it a certain percentage of moisture. whichcondenses, and descends as a precipitate Within the compartment A. Whenthe percentage of humldity necessary for certain purposes has beenproduced, as is readily ascertainable hygrometrically, the dormer louvershutters 32 are closed, and the shutter 16 for the Wall ter hassaturated the burlap .louvers, opened to effect the necessary cooling ofthe chamber. This humidity arrange- .ment serves also to furnish the proer quantlty of oxygen fol" the Workman. he compartment A or main floorisseparated from the compartment or basement B generally used forstoring, by a tight floor 33 supported on the tions of the Wa ls of the'basement, I provide at intervals Wall louvers 35, similar to thosedescribed in connection with the walls forming the compartment A. Awater trough Sti-extends longitudinally of the length of said basementWalls, and being mounted on the ca'sings of the louvers, supplies theburlap stretched over'the same with moisture the Water being deliveredfrom a pipe 37 through faucet 38, and escaping from said troughthrouofhperforations 38. On the sills 39 of saitd louvers is fastened a trough40 to catch the dri pings from over-supply to the burlap, an on theoutside of said basement walls, another trough 41 is provided to drainthe Aexcess water from the textile fabric.

When the air becomes unsuited for the fruit stored in the compartment B,that is, when for length of time and lack of circulation, it stagnatesand becomes insipid, the slides 42 provided in the vent pipes 43 areolsts 34. In the upper por! opened causing the air in the basement toescape to the atmosphereby the circulation resu ting from such action.These slides be-` ing independent of each other and placed at statedintervals in the Walls of the basement, it is possible to crea-teseparate air currents in separate portions of the basement, and in thismanner to thorou hly free the vitiated or stagnant -air thereizrom, oronly a part of the same, a condition arising where the fruit is storedin superposed tiers reaching to theceilin which prevent an equaldistribution and maintenance of the required qualit-y of air. Shutters44 are hingedly mounted on the u per part of said basement louvers tocontrol) the temperature therein.

- As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, these vent ipes are open at the sides andtop thereo,3 the top being covered by hoods 45 which` are' covered orcoated with suitable means for refracting the heat. At each gable endwall of the structure, similar vents maybe provided, as shown at 46, inFig. l.

Tosupply or replenish the supply of humidity to theair inthe basement orcompartment B, the shutters 32 of the dormer louver 22 are opened,causingthereby a precipitation of moisture within when the Wacoveringthe inverted V-shaped frame. The descending currents of moisture ladenair are then caused tocoursethrough the "openings 47 provided forthis-)purpose m the -tight door 33.' These openin 47 are -closed fromcommunication wit the compartment or main Hoor A b i trap doors 48hinged to the tide floor. Vi ien a sutiiclent amount of hmnidified air,as indicated by the hygrometer, has descended into the basement, thetrap doors are closed, and further precipitation of moisture in thecompartment A precluded by closing the shutters for the dormer iouver22. The wall vents 18, 43, and 4G, aside from servingto relieve thecompartments of impure or stale air, may be used to dry the air when theamount of humidity is greater than that required for specified purposes.

It will be seen from the construction as above described, that by theembodiment of thenovel features in a packing house, an equabletemperature may at all times be had and maintained, and that thoseconditions comitant with the preservation of fruit in storage previousto shipping, are all answered by the provisions incorporated in thesystem. Particularly is this the case Where in the torrid and dryvalleys, the percentage of moisture' in the air is almost inlinitesimal,and the result of such dearth of moisture is readily perceptible in itsaction upon the fruit. And only by extracting from the heated air themaximum quantity of caloric units during the progress of induction inthe interior of the packing` house, and regulating the atmosphericconditions, is it possible to satisfactorily dispense with artificialrefrigeration to properly insure the stored fruit against thedecomposing action of air bodies.

'hat I claim, is:-

l. A building construction for packing houses and the like havinglivalls provided with openings, strips of fabric covering said openings,means to supply moisture to said strips to cool the interior of saidpacking house. and means to produce humidity ivithin.

2. A. building' construction for packing houses and the like havingwalls and a roof` said `n'alls being provided with openings, strips offabric covering;l said openings, means to supply water to said strlps.and means in said ,roofft'o product` lnnilidity.

3. building' construction for packing houses and the like having wallsand a roof. said walls being provided with openings. strips of fabriccovering said Openings. means to supplyI water to said strips, means insaid roof to produce humidity, and

Vmeans to regulate suoli means.

4. A building construction for packing houses and the like having nallsprovided with openings. fabric coverings for said openings. means tolsupply moisture to said coverings to cool the interior atmosphere, andmeans to modify the hygrometric state of the air within.

5. A building construction for packin houses and the like having wallsand a` roo said .valls being provided with openings, fabric coveringsfor said openings, means to supply moisture thereto to cool the interioratmosphere, means in said roof to modify the hygrometric state of theair within, and means to control said means.

A cooling system for paekinghouses and the like haringl windows,comprising strips of fabric covering said Windows, water receiving anddistributing troughs on said windows to supply moisture to `said stripsand cool the interior of the packing house. drain troughs at the bottomof said windows. and means in the top of said building to producehumidity within sante.

T. A packing or other house having wallsl provided with louvers a maintioor, basement and roof, moisture absorbing means coveringl saidopenings. means to 'supply moisture thereto. vents in said walls adormer louver on said roof. means in said dormer louver to producehumidity, and means to establish connnunication between said ymain tloorand basement.

S. A. cooling system for packing and other houses. comilirising aircoolingI means provided in the n'alls thereof7 means to control saidmeans. means in the root' of said packing or other house to producehumidity and means to control said means.

t). A nalled structure divided into tivo compartments. the walls of thesame bein;T provided with louvers, strips of water absorbing materialcovering said louvers to the air within said compartments. means tosupply Water thereto. shutters for said louvers to regulate thetemperature within said compartments vents in the n'alls` thereof. todry the air, and means to produce humidity with said compartments. saidmeans comprising a dornier louver. a frame therein provided with acoveringl of textile fabric. a trough to supply vfater thereto, andshutters on said dormer lunver to prevent the ingress of air.

In testimony whereof i atlix my signature in the presence of tivowitnesses.

THOMAS FELL( )WS Yitnesses z FRANK 1. SHERMAN, Hanni E. Jones.

